Buoyed by a return of 21 Premier League goals, the former Chelsea forward sees no reason why England cannot mount a similar challenge despite their status as outsiders.

"There are other nations that are in a similar situation to us," he told reporters. "There are no real favourites at this World Cup. Everyone's got a chance.

"It's like when you look at the Premier League last season. Nobody would've said Liverpool would be challenging or have a chance of winning it. So regardless of whether we have pressure or not, whether people are saying we'll win it or we won't - it doesn't matter.

"It's a different level of football to the Premier League. You have to understand, it's everyone's dream to play in the World Cup. I've been dreaming of this since I was a kid, so for me I'm just excited about it."

Rather than dwelling on the disappointment of missing out on the title, Sturridge insists Liverpool have started to appreciate what they achieved in securing a return to the Champions League.

He added: "It was boxed off the day after we lost it. You've got to move on. Your lives have to move on.

"It obviously wasn't a great feeling, but we set ourselves the target of getting into the Champions League and we achieved that, so everybody's content.

"But sometimes you get so close, you feel like you've almost won it and then don't achieve that - it's disappointing."